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'Frightened' Indian woman who accused chief justice of harassment quits probe

A woman who accused the chief justice of India's Supreme Court of sexual harassment said on Tuesday (30) she would no longer participate in the proceedings of a judges' panel investigating the case as she does not expect justice.

The 35-year-old junior court assistant, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, wrote a letter to all Supreme Court judges along with an affidavit detailing her allegations against India's most powerful judge Ranjan Gogoi.


He has denied the charges.

The woman's complaint included allegations she and her family were victimised by authorities after she spurned the alleged advances of Gogoi.

In her statement on Tuesday, the woman said she was not allowed to have her representative present despite impaired hearing and anxiety. She also said there was no video or audio recording made, and she was not given a copy of her statements on the case from previous days.

"I found the atmosphere of the committee very frightening and I was very nervous because of being confronted and questioned by three Supreme Court Judges and without even the presence of my lawyer/support person," she said.

"I felt I was not likely to get justice from this committee and so I am no longer participating in the 3-Judge Committee proceedings."

No immediate comment was available from the Supreme Court.

Gogoi has said the accusations showed India's judiciary was under threat from a wider conspiracy, without elaborating.

"There is some bigger force behind the woman," he told a special hearing on Saturday.

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  • Ex-mayor finally apologises after writing visa support letters for family and friends.
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Former Enfield mayor Mohammed Islam has apologised to the council for writing letters supporting visa applications for his family and friends. The independent councillor stood down from his mayoral position last August after Enfield Council's conduct committee found he had brought his office into disrepute.
The committee ordered him to make a written apology, undertake code of conduct training, and refrain from wearing his past mayor badge.

In his letter to the council on November (21), Islam said, "I would like to offer my sincere apology to the council for the conduct in relation to the invitation letters to attend council programmes".

"I recognise that the actions did not meet the standards expected of an elected member and may have affected confidence in the council."

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